Commissioning Guide 8
How to choose an EDI training provider
EDI training helps people develop knowledge, understanding, confidence or skills relating to equality, diversity and inclusion.
1. What is this service?
The appropriate training depends on the behaviour or outcome you want to achieve.
Start with the outcome, not the course title.
2. When might you commission it?
- developing inclusive leadership
- improving manager capability
- introducing new policies
- building accessibility awareness
- addressing a specific organisational need
- developing professional skills
- supporting wider organisational change.
3. Before you commission
Ask:
- What should participants know or do differently?
- Why is training the appropriate intervention?
- Who needs it?
- What do they already know?
- What behaviour needs to change?
- What organisational barriers also need addressing?
4. Define your brief
Specify:
- audience
- learning objectives
- format
- group size
- duration
- delivery method
- accessibility
- materials
- follow-up
- evaluation.
5. What to ask providers
- What are the learning outcomes?
- How do you adapt training to different audiences?
- What evidence informs your content?
- How interactive is the training?
- How do you handle disagreement?
- How do you make the training accessible?
- What follow-up is available?
- How do you evaluate effectiveness?
6. How to compare proposals
Assess:
- learning objectives
- relevance
- methodology
- facilitator experience
- accessibility
- participant experience
- evaluation
- value.
7. What good looks like
- has clear objectives
- is appropriate for the audience
- connects to real situations
- creates opportunities to practise
- is accessible
- avoids unnecessary jargon
- acknowledges complexity
- has a plan for applying learning.
8. Things to watch out for
- generic slide decks
- training as the solution to a structural problem
- unsupported claims
- excessive reliance on slogans
- no learning objectives
- no evaluation
- no adaptation to the organisation.
9. What should you receive?
- course outline
- learning objectives
- facilitator information
- participant materials
- accessibility information
- evaluation approach
- follow-up resources.
10. After commissioning
Agree:
- manager reinforcement
- practical resources
- follow-up sessions
- evaluation
- integration with organisational processes.